Durban — Saturday is the 164th anniversary of the landing of the indentured workers on South African soil aboard the SS Truro in 1860.
To commemorate this historical event, various organisations, including the 1860 Heritage Centre in Durban, have organised a series of events to be held at various locations in eThekwini.
The festivities will include a memorial lecture delivered by reputed historian and UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Professor Vinay Lal, who will take the stage on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the 1860 Heritage Centre.
His lecture, titled The Figure of the Migrant: The Moved, the Unmoved, and the Human Condition in Perilous Times, will be in tribute to the late author Professor Surendra Bhana and Professor Joy Brain and will delve into the broader implications of migration and identity.
Selvan Naidoo, from the 1860 Heritage Centre and a great direct descendent of Chillee Nursoo no 314 – who arrived on the SS Truro – has expressed his eagerness for the events scheduled for Saturday, 16th November.
“On this historic day, the 1860 Heritage Centre will host a Commemoration Ceremony at 10:00 at the site of the planned Indentured Monument, open to the public, close to the parking lot of Durban South Beach,” he said.
This event will also include an Interfaith Prayer followed by the singing of the South African National Anthem and a Bell Ringing Ceremony in tribute to those early Indian indentured workers who laid the foundation of what would become a huge community.
Participants will also pay homage by offering marigold flowers to the Indian Ocean waters as a sign of respect for the contributions by indentured labourers.
Turning back the clock to 1860, Naidoo recounted that these workers' journey began with the arrival of the first group on the SS Truro, followed by a staggering 384 ships and 152 184 workers until 1911.
These individuals were brought to toil on the sugarcane plantations of KwaZulu-Natal, contributing significantly to the colonial agricultural industry.
A wave of other events will be in Durban until Saturday.
On Thursday (today), the Shree Veeraboga Emperumal Temple, in collaboration with the oThongathi Museum Committee, is hosting a heritage exhibition at the SVT Cultural Centre in Tongaat and will continue leading to Saturday’s main celebration.
The main event on Saturday is expected to be attended by Ebrahim Patel from the Minara Chamber of Commerce and renowned academic Professor Ashwin Desai.
The Mt Edgecombe Arts & Cultural Council will also roll out the red carpet for guests at Shri Mariammen Temple on Saturday.
“The 16th November 1860 is the most important day in the history of South Africans of Indian heritage. It is our duty to remember, reflect, and tell their story,” said the council.
In Chatsworth, the Sivananda World Peace Foundation, founded by Prince Ishwar Ramlutchman Mabheka Zulu, will hold its event to be addressed by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Hindu Unity Forum South Africa is set to host a vibrant 2.5 kilometre walk commencing at the Durban Amphitheatre in North Beach.
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